Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Revenge of the Sith promised that the Star Wars saga was complete. But that was before George Lucas handed the keys to his Galaxy to the Walt Disney Company. So now the story of the "galaxy far, far away" is back in The Force Awakens. And it is the film fans are looking for.

The Galactic Empire is long dead, but the new First Order is here to continue its dreams of Total Subjugation. The only thing in its way is the rebuilt Galactic Republic and its Resistance force. The First Order has the Starkiller Base, a super-duper successor to the Death Star and aren't afraid to use it. Meanwhile, its resident evil Jedi Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) has an incomplete map to the location of the recluse Luke Skywalker. He wants nothing more than to complete it.

Resistance Pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) had the last piece, but he gave it to his droid, BB-8, before Kylo Ren got him. Finn (John Boyega), a First Order Stormtrooper with a conscience, helps Poe escape. Finn gets separated from Poe on the desert planet Jakku. There, he meets BB-8 and a scavenger, Rey (Daisy Ridley), and escapes with them on the Millennium Falcon. When they meet Han Solo and Chewbacca, our heroes' jobs become much easier. Sort of.

Director J.J. Abrams went from one galaxy to this one and the results are spectacular. The new characters he introduces are destined to be franchise favorites. Their chemistry is entertaining and their personalities are excellent. The returning characters are sure to please the fans with their mere presence, even if some of them have mere presence.

The Force is strong with the crew. The visual effects don't overwhelm the screen like the prequel films often did. The creatures and places they create are part of the universe as much as the human actors. The action scenes are coherent and exciting. For every CGI advancement on-screen, there's proof that practical effects can do wonders (like an alien hippo!). The sound design combines old and new sounds seamlessly. And the always reliable John Williams is here to set these scenes to some rousing music.

The basic plot seems like a rehash of the first film. But it has enough twists to keep it from being a total rerun. The story works if you have the most basic familiarity with the older films. If not, the standard title crawl will bring you a bit up to speed. If there's one complaint I have, it's that the nature of Starkiller Base wasn't clear even after the exposition.

Overall, The Force Awakens moves along at a nicely paced 136 minutes. I was never bored once during the film. It's an exciting, well-written continuation to one of the greatest Space Operas ever made. It's sure to please both fans and newcomers alike. This was certainly worth the wait.